Harman International acquires the Dutch Duran Audio and its advanced electroacoustic technology

The North American multinational audio, information and entertainment systems company has announced the acquisition of the private Dutch company Duran Audio, whose investment has not been disclosed.

Duran Audio, Dutch manufacturer of electroacoustic systems and Axys Intellivox columns, will become part of the North American audio multinational Harman International, after its recent acquisition confirmed in a statement, in which the amount of the purchase is not revealed.

According to Harman's statement, the acquisition of this private company "can create synergies by mixing this manufacturer's product lines with ours."

In this sense, this acquisition provides Harman access to software-based electroacoustic control, processing and playback technologies, as well as its innovative brand of addressable audio columns Axys Intellivox, as part of the North American multinational's line of professional audio products.

Dinesh C. Paliwal, president and CEO of Harman, emphasizes that "the acquisition of Duran Audio reinforces Harman's stated commitment to advance our technological leadership through R&D and acquisitions. Over the years, Duran Audio has established a loyal and diverse customer base supported by innovative technology. By leveraging Duran's unique product lines with Harman's global presence and product synergies, our company is optimally positioned to serve new customers around the world with expanded audio solutions."

Along these lines, Duran Audio founder Gerrit Duran said: "Our goal has always been innovation. We have developed a range of solutions to some of the most difficult problems faced by sound system designers, architects and acoustic engineers. The acquisition by Harman presents many wonderful opportunities to push R&D further and offer some truly unique technologies to a broader customer base."

The addition of Duran Audio to Harman's portfolio of audio and lighting technology companies underscores its growth strategy through acquisitions focused on complementary technologies and product areas across geographic markets and verticals.

Founded in the Dutch town of Zaltbommel by Gerrit Duran in 1981, Duran Audio is an international benchmark for its Axiys range of professional audio, including loudspeakers, amplifiers, signal processors and networking devices, where it has pioneered speaker steering and beam shaping, essential elements to cope with demanding acoustic environments. The company has also established a leading position in audio solutions for the European safety standard EN-54 and software technologies for audio design.